Proceedings of ICE

civil engineering 161 August 2008 Pages 114123 Paper 08-00004

doi: 10.1680/cien.2008.161.3.114
logistics; military engineering; planning & scheduling

Keywords

camp Bastion, afghanistan: haven in the desert of death

Robert John Hewson
MSc

is a major with the royal engineers in cambridge, UK

camp Bastion in Afghanistan was the largest British military construction project in a war zone for over half a century. starting from a desert site with no access to essential services, the 53 million project was built in just four months by a construction force of 225 officers, soldiers and civilians. it included a 2250-bed camp, field hospital with intensive-care facilities, headquarter complexes, a runway for Hercules aircraft, operating surfaces for a variety of helicopter types and all other infrastructure for a sustainable forward military base. This paper describes the planning, design and construction of the award-winning project, including movement of UK personnel, machinery and material nearly 6000 km overland.

Helmand province in south-west Afghanistan was once one of the countrys richest agricultural areas (Fig. 1). It is dominated by the Helmand river valleywhich

provides a geographic and economic backboneand the adjacent Dasht-I Margo (desert of death). Though agriculture has declined, the province remains one of

Table 1. The initial 53 million, four-month project to build Camp Bastion was divided into four main task areas
Task area accommodation and services Details accommodation for 2250 in modular segments, increasing flexibility and efficiency. Water supply network drawn from an aquifer 150 m below ground. Waste-water treatment to uK river discharge quality. fuel storage and power generation. 2000 man super kitchen and dining facility. headquarters complex and joint operations centre. tactical runway comprising n 1700 m runway requiring importation to site of 15 000 m3 of crushed mountain rock n parking area for two C130 hercules aircraft n dangerous air cargo pan. two temporary Ch47 Chinook helicopter landing sites. 1500 m3 of rock dust-suppression cones. permanent joint helicopter force landing site comprising n 450 m short take off and landing runway n four Ch47 Chinook helicopter landing site and parking areas n four ah64 apache helicopter parking areas n two lynx helicopter forward operating pads n forward arming and refuelling point n under-slung load pad. 50-bed field hospital with independent, duplicated life-support systems. temporary holding facility. ammunition supply pointincluding 4500 m3 of ballistic protection bunding. Camp security infrastructure works, including n 11 km of security ditching and bunding n entrance security and elevated sangars n 9 km of roads and associated hardstandings.

fixed-wing support

Rotary-wing support

miscellaneous areas

c i V i L

E N G I N E E R I N G

Delivered by ICEVirtualLibrary.com to: IP: 130.159.248.1 On: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:33:00

cAMP BAsTion, AFgHAnisTAn: HAVen in THe deserT oF deATH

Afghanistans leading producers of opium poppies and a major centre of the narcotics industry. The province also shares an international border with Pakistan and its volatile Baluchistan province The aim of the British military deployment in Afghanistan is to provide a secure and stable environment to help the Afghan government establish and expand its democratic system following the end of the Taliban regime in 2001. The UK government announced an expansion of the British mission in January 2006, with troops peaking at 5700 and then reducing once engineering input was completed. Camp Bastion evolved from the requirement for a UK base that could support the Afghan National Army in Helmand. A decision was taken to invest in a design which would allow rapid, efficient construction and development of more permanent structures in slower time. A summary of the facilities provided is shown in Table 1; Table 2 shows key project dates. The project is approximately 9 km south of highway 1, the main Kandahar to Kabul road, and some 160 km west of Kandahar city. It forms a corner of what is locally known as the relatively safe Helmand triangle, the other corners of which are Gereshk, 20 km to the east, and the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, 20 km to the south-east.

Herat

Ghowr

Kabul and Khyber pass Ghazni

Oruzgan Farah

Zabol

Lashkar Gah IRAN Nimruz AFGHANISTAN

Kandahar

He

lma nd R

iver

Helmand

Kandahar Key 0 km 100 0 km 1

PAKISTAN

Baluchistan

International boundary Provincial boundary Main road

Hig

hwa y1
3

Afgan National Army camp

Gereshk

Camp Bastion

Lashkar Gah

Helmand

British army engineers were responsible for all aspects of design and construction of Camp Bastion. The key members of the project team are shown in Table 3.

km

40

Fig. 1. Location of Camp Bastion in the Helmand province of Afghanistanit formed a corner of what is locally known as the relatively safe Helmand triangle, the other corners being Gereshk and Lashkar Gah. Table 3. Camp Bastion project teamcommissioning, planning, design and construction was primarily undertaken by Royal Engineers
Project role Client Commissioning authority principal design authority specialist designers Organisation uK armed forces, permanent Joint headquarters 12 (air support) Engineer Group Royal Engineers 62 Works Group Royal Engineers 516 special team Royal Engineers (Bulk petroleum) 521 special team Royal Engineers (Water development) 529 special team Royal Engineers (air support) principal contractor Contractors 48 field squadron (air support) Royal Engineers Central asia development Group ReCon RonCo (specialist explosive ordnance clearance) specialist suppliers Kellogg Brown and Root hesco Bastion

Table 2. Key dates in the history of Camp Bastionthe main construction was completed in just four months, from 18 February to 18 June 2006
Date 01 may 2005 01 october 2005 01 december 2005 01 January 2006 26 January 2006 05 february 2006 10 february 2006 18 february 2006 10 april 2006 01 may 2006 02 June 2006 18 June 2006 01 december 2007 Activity design reconnaissance started first site survey Explosive ordnance clearance of site begins six containers with vehicles positioned on site mission announced local contractor starts groundworks and perimeter works Initial 17-man Royal Engineers construction team deploy to site main construction starts Runway operationalfirst hercules lands field hospital operational helicopter landing sites operational Camp fully operational Runway upgradedfirst Globemaster lands

issn 0965 089 X

Delivered by ICEVirtualLibrary.com to: IP: 130.159.248.1 Proceedings oF THe insTiTUTion oF ciViL engineers ciViL ENGINEERING, 2008, 161, no. ce3 On: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:33:00

He l ma

nd R

project team

Dasht-I Margo (desert of death')

iver

115

HeWson

Fig. 2. View of camp from southern end of runwaysand storms, 60C temperatures and militia were just some of the construction challenges facing the Royal Engineers in the Dasht-I Margo (desert of death)

Design was undertaken by 62 Works Group Royal Engineers, which planned, designed and programme-managed the construction works. Specialist teams of Royal Engineers designed and resourced key technical elements including bulk petroleum, aviation support and water development. Design reconnaissance was initiated in May 2005 for a construction start in February 2006. A dedicated team was established to coordinate and provide the significant engineering resources and logistics required for the project. Resourcesa large element of which was from the UKwere on the critical path of every aspect of the project. Construction was undertaken by 48 Field Squadron (Air Support) Royal Engineers, which provided the main element of the construction force and was supported by a mix of locally employed civilians. The squadron deployed 105 personnel to Afghanistan including a broad mix of tradesmen, plant operators and drivers as well as logistical support personnel such as chefs and vehicle mechanics. Unlike non-airsupport units, the squadron also has a basic design capabilitythe construc-

tion supervision cell is commanded by a garrison engineer (equivalent to a senior design engineer) and includes military clerks of works (equivalent to civilian design technicians), draughtsmen and surveyors. Given that the military construction contingent was just 105 personnel, a labour supply contract was awarded to Central Asia Development Group (CADG), a groundwork subcontractor, for 120 local civilian workers to augment the military workforce. This provided the following benefits and challenges. n A unique leadership opportunity for junior soldiers, many of whom were at the early stages of their careers. n A positive impact on the local economy. This in turn provided a positive hearts and minds and security and stability impacta primary consideration. n The enduring challenge of educating a mixed workforceincluding engineers, general labourers and, in one case, a hairdresseron UK construction working practices, including industry standards and health and safety.

planning, design and logistics

A number of factors affected the location for Camp Bastion. n The requirement to be within reach of the engagement area with the enemy, accessible by road and air, and both secure and easily defended. n Close proximity to the principal Afghan National Army camp, given the requirement for the British force to work alongside the Afghan army. n Proximity to other UK and Nato force locations, including Kandahar. n Consideration to minimise the effect of a large military contingent on local populations. n Availability of natural resources and water in particular. Working closely with the client to ascertain a statement of sustainability, the engineers developed a design which would allow rapid, efficient construction and development of more permanent structures in the longer term. UK legislation and health and safety standards had to apply as far as was reasonably practicable. Attainment of these
issn 0965 089 X

116

Delivered by ICEVirtualLibrary.com to: IP: 130.159.248.1 Proceedings oF THe insTiTUTion oF ciViL engineers ciViL ENGINEERING, 2008, 161, no. ce3 On: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:33:00

cAMP BAsTion, AFgHAnisTAn: HAVen in THe deserT oF deATH

Fig. 3. Roads petered out to hazardous and ill-defined desert trails long before the end of the 5680 km overland supply route from Karachi

Arriving in Karachi, Pakistan, all construction plant and 1527 containers from the UK were hauled north through Pakistan, over the Khyber pass and south through Afganistan to Kandahar a total distance of 5680 km
Pakistan, over the Khyber pass and south through Afghanistan to Kandahar. In Kandahar all material was cross-loaded the haulage sub-contractor being unwilling to make the final leg of the journey up-country. The 5680 km overland journey required consideration of physical and military security, existing road infrastructure capacity (Fig. 3) and potentially adverse weather. Other challenges included establishing a desired order of arrival for 1527 containers and their contents as well as personnel, vehicles and construction equipment, and also asset tracking and rigorous stores accounting at every stage. Despite the challenges, the convoys arrived in the Afghan desert in the correct order and at the right time to facilitate the construction programme. Inevitably, the tortuous logistical chain caused minor damage to some materials and equipment, which challenged the tradesmen to the limits of their abilities. Determination, innovation, teamwork and flexibility were all critical to success and there were numerous examplesfrom the chef who fed up to 460 people from a cook-set designed to feed 150, to the former welding instructor who used the

standards required education of the local workforce to British practices, and the overturning of cultural and communication barriers. For example, while the local population empty toilets into communal channels, the effluent treatment plants were constructed to ensure that waste water was treated to UK river quality discharge standards. All material and equipment (apart from bulk materials such as aggregate and concrete) had to be procured from the UK to ensure quality control. Scarce local resources and a security state also restricted local procurement. This imposed a significant logistical burden, so efficiency and modularisation were criticalall component items had to fit inside standard 6 m shipping containers. The design approach set the conditions for success by allowing critical decisions to be taken quickly on site without the need for time-consuming consultations. The key factors in the approach were n cooperation and trust at all levels n the designer understood in detail the clients intent and construction forces limitations n the construction force thoroughly
issn 0965 089 X

understood both the clients and designers intent and were empowered to evolve the design on site. The extremes of weather were a key factor in design and construction planning. Temperatures ranged from sub-zero in early January to 38C in March to 60C in June, with potentially significant effects on personnel and machinery. Also, dust and sand storms could reduce visibility to a few metres at times (Fig. 2). This impacted on working conditions, equipment and visibilityincluding the risk of potential enemy incursions into the camp construction area. To compensate for the weather, a range of working practices was introduced, including variable working hours and working at night, and increased maintenance for vital equipment. Supporting construction of Camp Bastion was an immense logistical challenge. A total of 1527 containers were shipped from the UK before the design was complete in order to meet the deadline for operational capability. Arriving in Karachi, Pakistan after six weeks at sea, the containers, as well as all the military vehicles, construction plant and equipment, were then hauled north through

Delivered by ICEVirtualLibrary.com to: IP: 130.159.248.1 Proceedings oF THe insTiTUTion oF ciViL engineers ciViL ENGINEERING, 2008, 161, no. ce3 On: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:33:00

117

HeWson

same cook-set to carry out expedient plumbing repairs. Close cooperation and a synchronous design and construct methodology were essential from the outset.

managing security
Camp security posed some significant challenges during construction and subsequent operation of the camp. n Explosive ordnance. Explosive ordnance clearance of the site was carried out under contract in December 2005. Very little was found beyond spent munitions, but this provided reassurance that construction work could begin with reduced risk. n Searching local suppliers and construction material on entry to the camp. This was achieved by specially trained dogs working with civilian handlers. Susceptibility to both heat and dust restricted the dogs working hours and thus access to the site. Accordingly, the animals were afforded the highest priority as regards airconditioned accommodation and were only usurped once the field hospital began receiving patients. Nothing entered the site unless it had been searched in the first instance by a dog.

n Preventing unauthorised access to the camp. An anti-vehicle ditch and berm enhanced by fencing formed the perimeter of the site. Carefully designed entry and egress points using Hesco Bastion concertainer aggregate-filled cellular wall units allowed strict control. n Vetting and employment of local contractors. The solution in this case was simple; once local contractors had been taken on, they were housed and contained within the secure camp perimeter. This reduced any potential passage of information to external personnel and improved overall security, as any attack on the base which injured local people or threatened their livelihood could potentially weaken support for the anti-government militia.

January 2006. On the last of these occasions they were able to pre-position six containers in the desert, each containing a Land Rover in readiness for the arrival by air of advance elements of 48 Field Squadron. Meanwhile, a 30-man team of Afghans from local contractor CADG arrived on site on 5 February to commence initial ground works. On 10 February 2006, authority was granted for advance elements of 48 Field Squadron to deploy to site. This initial 17-man team comprised 15 Royal Engineers, a member of the Royal Signals to assist in establishing communications and a member of J Company 42 Commando Royal Marines for additional protection. Once on site, construction priorities were established as follows. n Construction of essential accommodation and local security works to provide life support for the construction force and soldiers. n Security works undertaken by local sub-contractor CADG and military personnel to the perimeter of the site, including establishment of access and egress points. n Establishment of a temporary helicopter landing site for bringing in personnel and small stores. n Construction of a field hospital, runway and first elements of the accommodation. n Following completion of the field hospital, construction of the main helicopter landing site. n Upon completion of the priority tasks, undertaking other engineering works including ammunition supply point, joint operating cell headquarters, temporary holding facility, ongoing security enhancements and additional accommodation required to facilitate an operational surge in manpower. The advance party was soon joined by the remainder of the squadron and an impact quickly made on the bare desert. While CADG constructed initial defences in the form of an anti-vehicle ditch, berm and perimeter fence, the squadron began erecting the accommodation. Initially the camp was afforded only basic force protection works which were later
issn 0965 089 X

Building a small town in the desert

Measuring 2 km long by 1 km wide, the scale of the Camp Bastion project is similar to a small town with an international airport and state-of-the-art medical facilities. The initial security state was such that 62 Works Group was only able to deploy reconnaissance and teams of surveyors for brief periods between October and

Fig. 4. A foot patrol oversees ground works by local contractors for the state-of-the-art, 50-bed field hospitalone of two incident-response Chinook helicopters over-flies rock-crushing plant in the background Delivered by ICEVirtualLibrary.com to: IP: 130.159.248.1 Proceedings oF THe insTiTUTion oF ciViL engineers ciViL ENGINEERING, 2008, 161, no. ce3 On: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:33:00

118

cAMP BAsTion, AFgHAnisTAn: HAVen in THe deserT oF deATH

developeda cover-from-view wall was constructed from empty containers and an elevated central sangar (guard post) constructed on hardened accommodation located in containers. The first accommodation, called Uttley Lines, was a 250-man camp redesigned to accommodate 320 personnel and was completed in just 12 days. This was home to 48 Field Squadron throughout its time in Afghanistan. Having built its own accommodation, the squadron could then concentrate on elements required for initial operating capability. The key element of initial operating capability was the delivery of a secure and safe water supply. The role-twoenhanced 50-bed field hospital was quickly identified as the main effort due to the support it would provide for future operations in the Helmand province; the other key requirements for initial operating capability were n perimeter security works n aircraft runway and operating surfaces n accommodation comprising 2250 bed spaces.

n fuel and water storage n power generation with 100% redundancy with a specified requirement to retain redundancy throughout maintenance operations n incineration facilities for medical and domestic waste n sewage treatment works and treated effluent soak-away area n refrigeration capacity for a morgue n refrigeration capacity for 17 containers to store medical supplies. Externally, the field hospital is based upon standard military tent components, with a central concrete floor spine. The first area of works undertaken in Camp Bastion, this was an invaluable proving ground for the use of locally employed civilians. Their use for routine, repetitive and less-challenging tasks allowed the military tradesmen to concentrate on the more technically demanding areas of the hospital. Specialist flooring, linings, air-locks in the form of physical separation and airconditioning units were all combined in an effort to ensure the omnipresent sand and heat were kept at bay. Nearing completion, on-site liaison with specialist medical technicians allowed technical queries to be quickly resolved and decisions made instantly on site. The precise positioning of individual medical services, for example around high-dependency-unit bed spaces was resolved instantly, negating potentially significant remedial works. Upon completion of engineering works and clinical rehearsals, the hospital was declared live on 1 May 2006. This was a critical date for the Helmand task force and a precursor to the commencement of forward operations. The forward-basing of the incident response team with two Chinook helicopters at Camp Bastion vastly reduced the medical response time.

the main effort: a field hospital

Despite being located in the middle of the Afghan desert (Fig. 4), the field hospital included all the services one would expect to find in a UK hospital, including n primary health-care facilities n state-of-the-art surgical operating facilities n X-ray departments n high-dependency-unit wards. It was by far the most technically challenging construction task at Camp Bastion. In the months prior to construction, invaluable lessons identified from recent experiences in Iraq were being incorporated into the design. While there existed a clear requirement for refinement of the design, the constant evolution prevented the determination of an exact statement of requirement at an early stage in the planning process. The services associated with the hospital, its wards and supporting infrastructure necessitated significant additional engineering works, including
issn 0965 089 X

aircraft facilities
Camp Bastions remoteness, the potential for vehicles to be attacked en route and the limited availability of helicopters in rising air temperatures placed significant importance on the construction of a runway for Hercules aircraft. The requirement was for a 40 m wide, 1700 m long unbound aggregate runway,

three turning areas, parking for two aircraft and a dangerous air cargo pan. The latter allows dangerous goods to be consigned while maintaining safe distances from passengers and other critical assets. The excess width and length of the runway allowed for off-centre and displaced threshold landings in order to increase its design life. After an appraisal of whole-life costs, the pavement was constructed from a single 100 mm layer of crushed rock (40 mm to dust). Despite a design life of 1000 passes, the runway received over 360 passes in the first month. Selected as the most durable construction in the short term, the pavement still required routine daily maintenance as well as a major overhaul on a weekly basis. The proposed runway site was over a major wadi, some 310 m deep and at its widest over 200 m across. To mitigate the earthworks, 529 Special Team Royal Engineers issued a variation relocating the runway 200 m south, a critical stipulation being the maintenance of the runways navigational heading. Construction involved cut and fill of 83 000 m3 of local material and the import of 15 000 m3 of crushed mountain rock. The latter was required for its mechanical interlocking properties, which the abundant surrounding river gravels were unable to provide, and had to be imported from Kandahar some 160 km away. The sheer volume of rock required by all coalition forces and non-governmental organisations involved in the reconstruction of Afghanistan placed a huge demand upon a very limited and basic supply mechanism. The works programme used the contracted daily delivery rate of 1000 m3 of crushed rock, but it was impractical to impose or enforce penalty clauses. In a country ravaged by war and with an unstable and emerging economy, the only leverage was the potential of future contracts. The construction water required to achieve optimum moisture content for compaction was drawn from an initial borehole at a depth of 150 m. This provided construction water and an initial source of life-support water. It necessitated some difficult management decisions, as priority initially oscillated between construction water and water for showers and ablutions.

Delivered by ICEVirtualLibrary.com to: IP: 130.159.248.1 Proceedings oF THe insTiTUTion oF ciViL engineers ciViL ENGINEERING, 2008, 161, no. ce3 On: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:33:00

119

HeWson

On 10 April 2006, the runway received its first aircraft with just 1100 m of operating surface complete. Subsequent construction productivity was restricted by runway availability, but this increased as the RAF air-traffic control officer gained confidence in the construction forces ability to vacate the air operating surfaces as aircraft approached (Fig. 5). Helicopters As military operations gained momentum, there was increasing demand for

forward-basing helicopters at Camp Bastion rather than at Kandahar. Meeting the golden hour for medical treatment at the field hospital was heavily predicated on using helicopters for casualty evacuation. There would also be a reduced response time for supporting ground troops and increased flying time for target missions. Thus, while not formally part of the original initial operating capability criteria, the operational requirement for a joint helicopter force landing site quickly gained impetus.

Fig. 5. Hercules aircraft started using the unbound aggregate runway as soon as it reached 1100 m in length, adding to the challenge of constructing the remaining 600 m

The helicopter operating surfaces were constructed from established expedient surfaces of three types: AM2 aluminium mats, bomb damage repair mats and PSA1 mats. For dust suppression, these were laid on a Terram 2000 geo-fabric membrane and the surrounding area covered in at least 100 mm of 50 mm, single-size stone. The main helicopter runway was 450 m long by 20 m and constructed using AM2 matting. PSA1 matting was used for taxiways and Apache helicopter parking areas (Fig. 6), while the Chinook helicopter landing sites were constructed from bomb damage repair matting. The Lynx helicopter landing sites used forward operating pads traditionally associated with Harrier vertical take off and landing aircraft. Following initial ground preparation, the surface matting arrived in 67 containers and was laid by hand in 17 days (Fig. 7). Working in pairs, the construction team averaged a laying rate of 6 t per pair of people per day. Working through the night and cooler parts of the day lessened the risks of heat injury and fatigue. Strict tolerances were enforced to prevent potential damage to the nose-mounted 30 mm Rarden cannons and tail wheels of the Apache helicopters. The surface matting needed to be pinned down to prevent damage from

Fig. 6. Apache helicopters on completed PSA1 matting parking areasconstruction tolerances were critical to avoid damage to nose-mounted cannons and tail-wheels Delivered by ICEVirtualLibrary.com to: IP: 130.159.248.1 Proceedings oF THe insTiTUTion oF ciViL engineers ciViL ENGINEERING, 2008, 161, no. ce3 On: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:33:00

120

issn 0965 089 X

cAMP BAsTion, AFgHAnisTAn: HAVen in THe deserT oF deATH

aircraft downdraft. AM2 surfaces are normally fixed with 18 m long aluminium pins designed for the relatively soft soils of northern Europe rather than the dry sand and bedrock typical of Afghanistan. Following site trials, these were changed for anchor plates and 600 mm right-angle steel sections. The PSA1 and bomb damage repair mats were pinned using the 600 mm steel pins normally associated with the Harrier forward operating pads. The helicopter operating surfaces were formally licensed on 2 June. They were then immediately occupied by the Lynx, Chinook and Apache helicopters, which had been gradually arriving during the preceding days.

accommodation
Modular in both design and construction, the accommodation comprised seven temporary deployable camps and two improved tented camps, providing a total of 2250 bed spaces. The use of nine separate camps offered redundancy as well as flexibility and adaptability for potential changes in military occupancy. Each camp was a self-contained complex comprising a fuel farm, generators, water storage and distribution as well as a packaged sewage treatment plant. Though the camps were designed to be wholly

independent with their own catering facilities, a single 2000-man kitchen and dining facility was required instead. This offered economy of scale, reducing the number of chefs and associated staff required in theatre as well as overall food waste. Supplied by Kellogg Brown and Root and previously used on operations in Iraq, this was the first time temporary deployable accommodation had been erected by the military with limited on-site advice and support from the supplier. They consisted of four 125-bed camps, two 250-bed camps and one 500-bed camp. Another first was the early incorporation of force-protection measures in the camps. Experience in Iraq had shown that retro-fitting such measures in response to an increase in threat levels was time-consuming, expensive and inefficient. Containers were used to provide blast mitigation as well as kinetic and ballistic protection from indirect and direct fire. Rapid provision of bed spaces was vital to facilitate the influx of military personnel. Modularisation allowed the workforce to be gainfully employed at all times while affording the flexibility to surge priority task sites as required without any loss in production due to unfamiliarity with work areas or practices. The camps were constructed concurrently and started as soon

as ground works were completed by the subcontractor. Detail and accuracy during the setting-out stage was fundamental to swift construction as the modular design limited flexibility to make up tolerances at later stages. A comprehensive understanding of the clients requirements and intent enabled one of the four 125-bed camps to be sacrificed to provide any necessary spare parts for construction. Replacement component parts were ordered from the UK and careful control of stores and material ensued with only mission-critical parts being reallocated. The technical challenges associated with creating the super kitchen were immense. Kitchen components had to be removed from the seven modular camps and combined to produce a single central feeding arrangement while maintaining functionality of utilities within the individual camps. There was no provision for separate utilities for the super kitchen so power, water supply and so on had to be sourced from within the seven camps. All but the smallest of stores, which could potentially be flown to site, would have to follow the tortuous logistical chain via Karachi, the Khyber pass and Kandahar. Fuel for the camp generator farms was imported from Kandahar by locally hired road tankers. In order to increase security

Fig. 7. Aluminium AM2 expedient surface matting being laid over Terram 2000 geo-fabric for the 450 m long helicopter runwayit was fixed to the ground with 600 mm steel angles and anchor plates

each camp was a self-contained complex comprising a fuel farm, generators, water storage and distribution as well as a packaged sewage treatment plant
121

issn 0965 089 X

Delivered by ICEVirtualLibrary.com to: IP: 130.159.248.1 Proceedings oF THe insTiTUTion oF ciViL engineers ciViL ENGINEERING, 2008, 161, no. ce3 On: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:33:00

HeWson

and negate the requirement for Afghan vehicles to enter the site, a central fuel farm incorporating a remote receipt point was provided. Bottled water was used for drinking and food preparation with the remaining water being supplied from the boreholes. Following completion of the construction borehole located near the runway, a further seven 150 m deep production boreholes and ring main were developed (Fig. 8). During the early stages of construction, access to the ablutions for washing and showering was strictly controlled. Key trades such as chefs and medics were

allowed access to the showers and a single washing machine; the remainder were limited to washing bowls. While each camp had an inherent water storage, distribution and treatment system, a logistical challenge lay in delivering or removing this water until such time as the ring main came into effect.

hand over and development

Having achieved both initial and full operating capability, 48 Field Squadron handed over Camp Bastion on time and within its 53 million budget on 18 June

2006 (Fig. 9). In the months that followed the squadrons departure from Afghanistan, work continued at a significant pace as Royal Engineers from across the corps continued to expand and develop the infrastructure. Water and sewage mains are being completed throughout the camp and designs are underway to install a single generator farm with associated high-voltage distribution. Work continues to increase the permanency of the camp infrastructure and enhance the standard of service and thus quality of life afforded to those living there, as well as reducing the associated operations and maintenance burden. The runway has been significantly upgraded to accommodate C17 Globemaster aircraft, which have four times the carrying capacity of a Hercules (Fig. 10). 10 Field Squadron was deployed to construct a temporary parallel runway, after which the original unbound aggregate runway was upgraded to a 2150 m long, 28 m wide runway made from pavement-quality, combed-finish concrete. All associated air-operating surfaces were similarly upgraded, and the first Globemaster landed in December 2007.

Conclusion
Camp Bastion was one of the Royal Engineers most significant construction achievements since the 195053 Korean War. The construction of what was effectively a small town with a hospital and international airport in just four months by a small team of multi-skilled military engineers was a testament to their corps skill, training, leadership and initiative. The project was awarded the judges special award at the British Construction Industry Awards 2007, with the following credit. The most extraordinary feat of logistical, engineering, management and construction in the most inhospitable environment. The determination and commitment shown by the entire construction team included numerous examples of individuals going well beyond the call of duty. Camp Bastion was a construction project like no other and a worthy winner of the judges special award.
issn 0965 089 X

Fig. 8. A Chinook helicopter over-flies Afghan subcontractors drilling one of a total of eight, 150 m deep water supply boreholes Delivered by ICEVirtualLibrary.com to: IP: 130.159.248.1 Proceedings oF THe insTiTUTion oF ciViL engineers ciViL ENGINEERING, 2008, 161, no. ce3 On: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:33:00

122

cAMP BAsTion, AFgHAnisTAn: HAVen in THe deserT oF deATH

Fig. 9. An aerial view of Camp Bastion on completion in June 2006, showing the 2 km by 1 km perimeter, the accommodation hub and, in the background, the aircraft operating surfaces and runway

What do you think?

If you would like to comment on this paper, please email up to 200 words to the editor at journals@ice.org.uk. If you would like to write a paper of 2000 to 3500 words about your own experience in this or any related area of civil engineering, the editor will be happy to provide any help or advice you need.

Fig. 10. Construction plant arrives in the first Globemaster to land on the upgraded concrete runway at Camp Bastion in December 2007

issn 0965 089 X

Delivered by ICEVirtualLibrary.com to: IP: 130.159.248.1 Proceedings oF THe insTiTUTion oF ciViL engineers ciViL ENGINEERING, 2008, 161, no. ce3 On: Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:33:00

123